Santa Fe grabs 'most artistic' spot

Santa Fe was rated the "Most Artistic City in America," in a feature article published in The Atlantic this week.

Richard Florida, a senior editor at the magazine and director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, used data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to rank cities based on the number of artists who live there compared to the overall population.

After Santa Fe came cities with major art scenes: San Francisco, then New York, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.

"It's time to get over the notion that only large urban cities like New York or L.A. can make it as artistic centers," the article says. "While it's true that large cities and metros dominate in terms of sheer numbers of artists, smaller communities are home to vibrant artistic communities as well — many with national and international reputations and reach."

Santa Fe has been named a top destination in several national publications this year. It ranked high on some lists in Travel + Leisure and was the third-favorite city to visit in the 2011 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice survey.

Martinez picks chief public defender

Gov. Susana Martinez has named Jacqueline Cooper of Cedar Crest as the state's chief public defender.

Cooper has worked in the Public Defender Department for more than 20 years, and since April has served as acting chief public defender, which is the agency's top administrator.

The department provides lawyers to represent people charged with crimes who can't afford a private attorney.

Cooper earned her law degree from The University of New Mexico. She succeeds Hugh Dangler, an appointee of former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson. Dangler was ousted earlier this year by the Martinez administration. The governor announced Cooper's appointment on Thursday.

Moya tapped as high-court clerk

Kathleen Jo Gibson, chief clerk of the New Mexico Supreme Court, is retiring after 25 years with the high court.

Gibson declined to make any public statement beyond a news release from the court, except to say she will be succeeded by Joey Moya, chief counsel to the Supreme Court.

Gibson was named chief clerk in September 1992 — the fifth person to hold that position in the court's nearly 100 years. She was also building manager for the Supreme Court Building, constructed by the Public Works Administration between 1935 and 1937. Prior to that, Gibson was a judicial law clerk for four justices — William Riordan, Richard Ransom, Dan Sosa Jr. and Stanley Frost.

During Gibson's 19-year tenure as chief clerk, she has worked with 21 justices, 15 of whom served as chief justices, according to the court's news release.

Madrid lights up for holidays

MADRID — Weather permitting, stagecoach rides will be offered this weekend as part of the 29th Annual Madrid Christmas Open House.

The merchants association in the community south of Santa Fe says festivities begin Saturday, with businesses offering free hot chocolate, cider and cookies.

Scheduled activities include an art reception from 3-5 p.m. at the Johnsons of Madrid Galleries and the annual Madrid Christmas Parade at 4 p.m., followed by a display of Christmas lights.

Each weekend until Christmas business will be open late on Saturday evenings and all day on Sundays. Several restaurants will serve special menus and the Mine Shaft Tavern will have live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.


Santa Fe's top cop gets certified

The Santa Fe Police Department officially has a cop running the department again.

The city announced Wednesday that Ray Rael, who stepped in as interim police chief in March and has served as permanent chief since July 14, has earned his recertification from the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.

Rael, a 21-year veteran of the department, retired in 1999. He worked as a compliance officer with the city's Human Resources Department before returning to run the department after Chief Aric Wheeler stepped down. Rael's certification had expired in the meantime and he had up to one year to become a certified officer.

The recertification process required 120 hours of course work, a background check, a physical, a psychological exam and requalification in hand-gun use. He also had to pass a special emergency vehicle road test.

City Manager Robert Romero said he was "extremely proud" of Rael for the recertification and that the city can "feel safer knowing that we have a police chief who not only can run an efficient police department, but has been recertified in general law enforcement."

Tip leads to Tres Piedras drug bust

New Mexico State Police say an anonymous tip led to big drug bust in Tres Piedras on Tuesday.

Investigators served a search warrant on the home of Thomas Graham, 52, and found 61 marijuana plants, 12 mushrooms, four pipes, one scale, one stolen shotgun (registered to an owner in Kansas City, Mo.) and a large but unspecified quantity of "dried marijuana."

Graham, who is being held at the Rio Arriba County jail on unrelated traffic warrants, has not yet been charged in connection with the bust, but police did say he had 123 grams of marijuana in his possession at the time of his arrest Monday, the day before police searched his home.

Autopsy released in Pauly shooting

The Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque on Thursday released the "Report of Findings" from the autopsy of Samuel Pauly, the 34-year-old man shot and killed by New Mexico State Police in his Glorieta home on Oct. 4.

The report lists the cause of death as "gunshot wound of chest" and the manner of death as "homicide."

The First Judicial District Attorney's Office has yet to present the findings to a grand jury to decide whether officers Raymond White and Michael Mariscal will be charged in the case or whether their shooting was justified. It is still unclear which officer fired the fatal shot.

State police have not released audio from digital recorders the officers involved were wearing on their uniforms at the time of the shooting.

Sam Pauly's brother, Daniel Pauly Jr., has said he and his brother thought the individuals approaching their home were men who had followed Daniel Pauly home after a road-rage incident earlier in the evening. He said the men never identified themselves as police officers when they were outside the home.

Santa Fe man faces sex charges

A 27-year-old Santa Fe man was charged Wednesday with two counts of criminal sexual penetration of two young male relatives — a 2-year-old and a child of 10 months.

Adrian Muñoz, whose residence is in Santa Fe County, was arraigned Wednesday and given a $500,000 cash-only bond. He has denied the charges, according to police.

According to Detective James Yeager, when confronted by police, Muñoz, "advised me that he could understand why I was arresting him because of the facts of the case."





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